Of Duty and Devotion

      If a man is simply dutiful, he can be dutiful without devotion. If a man is devoted, he will be dutiful in life, not for the sake of the task that has to be done, or for recognition, but because the object of his devotion is the very heartbeat which carries him through that life. If a man has been registered to vote, he may very well be called upon for the task of jury duty. The summons to serve is usually followed by exasperation. The tragedy is that many who label themselves followers of Jesus Christ, who claim that they have a real relationship with him, who assert that he, alone, is their Lord, have begun to treat his commandments like being called to the task of jury duty. There is little enthusiasm for the Lord’s work. There is rarely genuine love shown to people. People work simply because there is a task to be done. However, this is not what real faith in Jesus Christ looks like. If you truly have faith in Jesus Christ, you are not simply dutiful, but devoted. Casual faith is a falsehood—a lie from the mouth of Satan that seeps into the hearts of sinful men. For many, Jesus has become an aspect of their life. The problem is, he never settles in the role of an aspect. He desires to be your life. Many will let Jesus influence their lives, but he does not desire to be an influence—but the transformer of your life. When the Holy Spirit poured out and filled the hearts of the people at Pentecost, do you suppose that one man said to the other, “Well, I guess we should probably start speaking in tongues…if not, I won’t hear the end of it. Let’s get this over with?” After Pentecost, when the believers were gathered together, do you think that they protested that the apostles’ teaching took over an hour? Did they grumble about the staleness of the bread? Did they fall asleep in the middle of the prayer? No! It says that awe came upon every soul! Awe is a reverent fear of something extremely powerful. They were filled with awe at the coming of the Spirit, and at the witnessing of his work. This drove them to fellowship. Today, the word fellowship has become hijacked as the word used to describe potluck dinners and casseroles. Fellowship is a devotion to one another and genuine like-mindedness. They became so devoted to the work of the kingdom that they sold their possessions and belongings and distributed the proceeds to all, as any had need. Day after day, they attended temple together. They broke bread in their homes and received the food with generous and glad hearts. They praised God for everything. What’s amazing to me is to live within a culture that feels that they must program something to see men come to Christ. These believers saw numbers added daily. Not through programming or mindless duty—but because they were devoted to Christ and to one another. So, the question must be raised in your own life—are you devoted or simply dutiful (if even that)? I believe one must be radical to be a follower of Christ. Not in the sense of violence or political takeover. But rather, that one must be utterly and completely sold out to Christ and His purpose.

Don't Panic.

     Take a moment to read the news reports from the past few weeks. What will you see? You will see a blanket of persecution for our beliefs slowly being pulled over our nation. This may take 50 years or it could swiftly cover us in 5 days...or 5 hours...we do not know. In either case, I urge you...Don't Panic. When Paul was imprisoned, he wrote letters to various churches. In his letter to the Church at Philippi, he wrote of his imprisonment, "Yes, and I will rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body whether by life or by death. For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart [die] and be with Christ, for that is far better. But, to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again. Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in Him, but also suffer for His sake, engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have." The gospel is not a call to arms [in the sense of actual weapons and warfare] in the face of persecution, but rather it is a call to remain steadfast in the Word and in the Spirit. It is a call to not lose heart...to persevere in faith knowing that to "live is Christ and to die is gain." There is a song that I have been listening to a lot lately that says, "What are they going do? Murder us? What murder does is send a surge of us to go put churches up!" This should be our manner of living! When persecution comes, it should increase our urgency to proclaim the Greatness of our God to the world around us! We are not violent, and it pleases God that we live peaceably. We are to be submissive to our government. However, if they ever proclaim that we cannot worship our God, then we must respectfully disobey. It should never be the intent of the believer to be a rebel, but nothing should stop the believers from joining in fellowship to worship the God who saves and sanctifies them. If you are imprisoned, rejoice! This gives a unique opportunity to spread the good news of Christ to men who, although criminal and imprisoned, are loved by God as well. If you are killed, teach your families to not seek revenge, but rather increase in the spreading of the Gospel. The advancement of the Kingdom of Heaven [The Kingdom of God] is our purpose. Let us not relent! Don't Panic! God is sovereign over all! Kings and rulers are Kings and rulers because God ordained them to be Kings and rulers! So, we do not cower...we do not cringe in fear, but rather we boldly (by the power of the Spirit) proclaim the good news to all who will hear.
     We love to declare, "God is in control." Recently, however, I have noticed that the same ones who declare "God is in control," are also in a frantic state over the state of our nation in relation to our faith. Matthew 10:28 says, "And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell." Isaiah 41:10 says, "fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Romans 8:31 says, "What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?" Deut. 31:6 says, "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you." Isaiah 40:29 says, "He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak." Isaiah 41:13 says, "For I am the LORD your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you." Isaiah 50:9 declares, "It is the Sovereign LORD who helps me. Who will condemn me? They will all wear out like a garment; the moths will eat them up." Romans 8:38-39 declares, "For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,  nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."
     In uncertain times, God is certain. When we cannot see what lies ahead, God sees. When we lose all control, God is still in control. When we are persecuted, God comforts us with His Word. When hope for our nation is gone, continue to hope in God, for He is greater. Don't Panic.

A picture from my house

 

 

It amazes me how God can receive glory from the things that seem so normal to us.

(This was taken in my back yard today)



Grace, Grace....God's Grace!



I am reading, "The Cost of Discipleship," by Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and I have stumbled upon some quotes that we all need to ponder. He is talking about cheap grace and costly grace. Cheap grace is "is the grace that we bestow on ourselves. Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, communion without confession, absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate." Then he describes costly grace. "Costly grace is the treasure hidden in the field; for the sake of it a man will gladly go and sell all that he has. It is the pearl of great price to buy which the merchant will sell all his goods. It is the kingly rule of Christ, for whose sake a man will pluck out they eye which causes him to stumble; it is the call of Jesus Christ at which the disciple leaves his nets and follows him." Grace is free, but it is costly. It was freely given, and it is freely received. You cannot purchase grace, but grace will cost you your life. Have you repented of your sin? Have you laid down your life before the living God and proclaimed, "This life is yours! I was bought with a price?" Have you believed in the words of God so much that you would lay down life and possessions for the sake of knowing God?

Just some questions to ponder...

Simple Faith

simple faith

matthew 9: 18-26

            We are in the midst of a transitional time in our church (Sargent Baptist, Newnan, Ga.) and it would seem that we are at a very vulnerable place in our walk. It would seem that at any moment the enemy could charge in and break us apart. Let me be honest, this is exactly what he aims to do. Satan comes to steal, kill, and destroy. If he steals our faith, he kills our joy, and destroys our church. I am bound and determined, however, to not let the enemy steal my faith. I am bound and determined to not allow the enemy to kill my joy. I am bound and determined, by the power of God through the Holy Spirit, and in the name of Jesus Christ, to not allow the enemy to destroy Sargent Baptist Church. I would hope and pray that this is the same with you.

            I think it is a bit ironic that somehow vulnerability has become unacceptable within the confines of a faith family. I believe whole heartedly that it is unbiblical to discourage people to bring their weaknesses to church for others in their faith family to pray over them. I believe it is biblical (previously I had typed "un-" before this...this is what I believe...prefixes are important) for the faith family as a whole to bring their weaknesses before the Lord…in simple faith. Faith is not a complex thing. There is no secret step-by-step method to gaining great faith. There is no secret words that somehow conjure up faith. There is only one thing—surrender. Faith is simple. It is surrendering everything and saying, “God lead. We will follow.” How are we to defend from the piercing arrows of the enemy in our vulnerability? What does Ephesians 6:16 say? It says, “In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one.” It does not say take up the shield of reasoning. It does not say take up the shield of planning. It says take up the shield of faith.

            I have said on many occasions that you will never impress Jesus enough to save you. This is true. However, it is possible to impress Jesus…it may not be the saving grace, but it is possible. However, throughout the New Testament, you don’t see Jesus impressed by the great crowds. You do not Jesus impressed by a fantastic financial report. You do not Jesus impressed by flashy lights, or music, or ministries…what is Jesus astonished at? Jesus is impressed with the greatness of the people’s faith. I don’t know about you, but I want to be a part of a faith family that if Jesus stood among us, he would be impressed with our faith. If I am granted the opportunity to keep on preaching, which is solely up to God and the deacons who are honestly seeking after His face—if given the opportunity, I would love to keep preaching on this topic, which is tonight’s sermon title, “Simple faith.” However, I see through a mirror dimly [meaning I do not know what God has planned for tomorrow], so I will go ahead and preach on simple faith.  Here is my aim…look at Romans 1:8-12.

            My aim is to encourage you in and to be encouraged by your faith. Tonight’s message is going to come from Matthew 9: 18-26.

[Read and Pray]

            Let’s go ahead a break these verses down. I find this to be one of the most amazing stories in the New Testament regarding faith. I simply marvel at the faith these people had…so much so that it encourages me to be more faithful! Do you see how thousands of years later, we can still be encouraged (as in Romans 1) by our brothers and sisters in faith? I pray that the legacy I leave in life is one where someone can look back and say, “I want faith like that.” I pray our church leaves a legacy that many generations down the road, people look at our legacy and say, “I want faith like that.” I talked in a prior message about how faith is not being double-minded when it comes to God’s power. We cannot say, “These things I believe God can do, but this list over here…this is the impossibility list.” That’s NOT faith! In fact, that is the OPPOSITE of faith and it denies the power of God! It is boldly declaring, “Lord, You cannot do these things.” Notice the faith of the ruler. [Read Matthew 9: 18]. Death is pretty much the end of it, right? If we are at a funeral, we are saying “goodbye,” not “Hey! Wake up!” This man had so great a faith that he believed 100% that Jesus Christ could raise the dead. He says, “She’s dead. However, if you come see her, she will live again.” Wow! What faith! So, Jesus rose and began to follow the ruler. We read in Luke that this ruler’s name was Jairus. Jairus’ daughter was only twelve years old! What faith! When any typical person would say all is lost, this man says, “No!” In the midst of his anguish, he had faith!

Now as Jesus was following, we also read in Luke, that there was a great crowd. So much so that people began to press against Jesus. There were so many people that it was difficult to move. While trying to traverse through this crowd, someone reached up and touch the robe of Jesus. Jesus stops and says, “Hey! Who touched my robe?” The disciples, always quick to speak and slow to think, said, “Lord! How are we supposed to know who touched your robe? There are people everywhere!” Jesus however knew that great power had gone out from Him, which meant that someone—whoever had touched Him—was filled with faith. See, great power from God is poured out on those who have simple faith. So, he inquires.

Then a woman came forward trembling and fell down on her face before Him. She had a discharge of blood for twelve years! That is twelve years of non-stop bleeding! She had probably had enough at this point! She was probably at the end of her rope, but in faith, she believed, “If I touch his garment, I will be healed.” Jesus turns to her and says, “Take heart daughter…your faith has made you well.” Instantly, the woman was made well! Twelve years she suffered! Twelve years she endured pain! She spent every dime she had to her name for twelve years searching diligently for a cure! None of these earthly things worked, it was only through divine intervention! Because of her faith, in an INSTANT she was healed. Her faith made her well! Simple faith. She had no doubt that if she touched the garment, she would be healed. Notice, Jesus did not say, “Wow! Look at how many people are here! That’s 1…2…3…350 more people than last time!” No. Jesus was not looking for crowds, he was looking for faith.

After this, Jesus continues on to Jairus’ house. Someone comes outside and says, “Don’t worry about bothering the teacher anymore…your daughter is dead.” Jairus continued to remain faithful. Though people and circumstances on the outside said, “Give up! It’s over!” Jairus remained filled with faith. Jesus said, “Do not weep, for she is not dead, but sleeping.” People began to mock Jesus. “How foolish!” they thought. “How ridiculous!” “How absurd!” Let me go ahead and say that those who lack faith always find the faithful to look foolish. I pray that I look foolish to the world around me because I faith in God. I pray that we, as a church, look foolish because we have great faith. It is in this kind of faith that God humbles the proud by showing His mighty power.

The world is going to tell you it’s over. The world is going to laugh at you. Let them doubt. Let them mock. Because when Christ said, “Child arise,” she got up. When Christ extended His hand to her, she stood, completely well. He told the parents to tell no one what had happened as we see in Luke…but what is funny to me is that even though they told no one, we see in Matthew that news of this went all over the district! The word of God’s power went all over! So what does all this mean for our church? We need to have simple faith.  Let me encourage you for a few moments with the Word of God. We like to use the verse that “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God” for simply evangelism. I think that evangelism is part of the meaning for that verse…I believe there is a word for discipleship…for growth in there. Faith comes by hearing the Word of God. We can be strengthened in our faith through the Word of God.

Scripture to encourage you:

1 Corinthians 16:13 Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.

2 Corinthians 5:6-7 So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight.

Matthew 8:26 And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.

Matthew 17:20 He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.” (Jesus Speaking)

Luke 12:27-28 “Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! (Jesus speaking)

Matthew 15:28 Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly.

Matthew 21:21-22 And Jesus answered them, “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen. And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”

Mark 10:52 And Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him on the way.

Romans 1:16-17 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

2 Corinthians 4:13-14 Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, “I believed, and so I spoke,” we also believe, and so we also speak, knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence.

 

Ephesians 6

VIDEO BIBLE STUDY:

EPHESIANS 6

 

 

 

[Children and Parents]
 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

[Bondservants and Masters]
 Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a bondservant or is free. Masters, do the same to them, and stop your threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and that there is no partiality with him.

[The Whole Armor of God]
 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.

[Final Greetings]
 So that you also may know how I am and what I am doing, Tychicus the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord will tell you everything. I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage your hearts.
 Peace be to the brothers, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible.

(Ephesians 6 ESV)



The Terms for Peace [Sermon from Palm Sunday]

The terms for peace

Luke 19:42

Palm Sunday is one of the most important days in the Christian calendar after Christmas and Easter. Palm Sunday is the Sunday before Easter, and marks the beginning of Holy Week, the week of events leading up to Jesus' death. Palm Sunday commemorates the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. The gospels record the arrival of Jesus riding into the city on a donkey, while the crowds spread their cloaks and palm branches on the street and shouted "Hosanna to the Son of David" and "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord" to honor him as their long-awaited Messiah and King. The significance of Jesus riding a donkey and having his way paved with palm branches is a fulfillment of a prophecy spoken by the prophet Zechariah (Zechariah 9:9).

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
    Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your king is coming to you;
    righteous and having salvation is he,
humble and mounted on a donkey,
    on a colt, the foal of a donkey

(or some translations…a beast of burden).

[LUKE 19: 28-44]

The Triumphal Entry

²⁸ And when he had said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. ²⁹ When he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples, ³⁰ saying, “Go into the village in front of you, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat. Untie it and bring it here. ³¹ If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say this: ‘The Lord has need of it.’” ³² So those who were sent went away and found it just as he had told them. ³³ And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?” ³⁴ And they said, “The Lord has need of it.” ³⁵ And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. ³⁶ And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road. ³⁷ As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, ³⁸ saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” ³⁹ And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” ⁴⁰ He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”

Jesus Weeps over Jerusalem

⁴¹ And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, ⁴² saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. ⁴³ For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side ⁴⁴ and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”

 

        The typical Palm Sunday sermon places the focus upon the entry, the loud “hosannas,” or the significance of Jesus riding in on a donkey. This morning, however, I believe the Lord has led me to a different verse. As I read through this, one particular verse stood out to me. Luke 19:41-42 says, “And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on the day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.” Jesus is weeping over Jerusalem because he knows the terms for peace. He knows that in a few short days, these shouts of “Hosanna! Blessed is He that comes in the name of the Lord,” turn to shouts of, “Crucify Him!” He knows the terms of peace, but as for Jerusalem, it has been hidden from their eyes. Why had the terms of peace now been hidden from their eyes? Before we get into that, let’s first address the need for peace.

Romans 5:10
^"10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life."

We were enemies of God! If you read the Bible, and meditate on the words, you find that prior to Christ we are enemies of God. In our sinful condition, we are enemies of God! But God, being rich in mercy, grace, and love made a way for peace. If you have not surrendered your life to Christ…If you have not repented of your sin…if you have not believed in and followed Christ…you are still an enemy of God. The good news of the gospel is that God has provided the terms for peace. The only thing is…you cannot settle the terms yourself. There is no amount you can pay…there is no amount of good work you can do that covers the terms for peace. This is a debt that is only paid by the blood of a spotless lamb…and there is only one…and you are not it. O that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace. Apart from Christ, we are enemies of God…and this has now been hidden from Jerusalem. Was God being unjust in hiding this from the Jews? Was this fair? If we look at Romans 1:28- 32, we can see what had happened.

Romans 1:28-32

²⁸ And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. ²⁹ They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, ³⁰ slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, ³¹ foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. ³² Though they know God's righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.

        Look at the end of Luke 19:44…”you did not know the time of your visitation.” Let’s go Old Testament for a minute…when you saw the word “visitation” in the Old Testament…it usually meant one of two things. That God is bringing salvation or that God is bringing judgment. In Isaiah 29:5, the prophet says to the rebellious people, “The multitude of your foes shall be like small dust…and in an instant suddenly; you will be visited by the Lord of hosts with thunder and with earthquake and with a great noise.” In another instance, in Genesis 50:24, Joseph prophecies to his brothers, “I am about to die, but God will visit you and bring you up out of this land to the land which he swore to Abraham.” This is a prophetic word from Joseph of the Exodus from Egypt. This was a great moment of salvation and deliverance. Today, I believe that each one of us is here for a purpose. Please, understand that the gospel is good news to those who hear and understand, but is also news of great judgment to those who hear and ignore. Jerusalem had ignored the words of the prophets for centuries. They would kill the prophets or at least beat them up and run them out of the city. They did not heed the words of Christ time and time again. Many had come proclaiming that the Messiah was in their midst, but they ignored. Instead, they lived for the flesh…so God gave them up to their debased minds. This is why, in Luke 19:41, we see Jesus weeping over the city. Over and over and over again the Israelites had been shows the goodness and mercy of God. Over and over and over they replaced God with an idol and turned from Him. Jesus is weeping because God’s chosen people do not know what they are doing. He also knows that the complete wrath of God is going to be poured out upon Him for their sake and for our sake.

            Please, hear the words of the Lord. You, if you have never surrendered your life, still have the opportunity for peace.

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we^[a] have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. -ROMANS 5:1

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins ² in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— ³ among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body^[a] and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.^{[b] 4} But^[c] God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, ⁵ even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— ⁶ and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, ⁷ so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. ⁸ For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not a result of works, so that no one may boast. ¹⁰ For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.-Ephesians 2: 1-10

            These are the terms for peace. First and foremost, that Christ had to drink the cup of the wrath of God! That Christ had to face a trial. That Christ was beaten for hours on end. That Christ had to carry his cross to the top of the hill called Golgotha. That Christ was nailed to a cross suffering pain and agony for yours and my sake. That Christ…get this…GAVE UP his life for our sins. No one takes the life of Christ away…he knew what had to be done! That Christ was buried in a tomb. That Christ rose again on the third day and now we can gladly sing in our churches that we have Victory in Jesus! Christ has defeated the grave! Sin has lost its power. Death no longer has its painful sting. We are now, in Christ, co-heirs…Children of God! Since Christ has risen, the gap between God and man has been bridged. Christ says that He is the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except by Him. The Gospel is that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. The Gospel is that for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift through the redemption that is in CHRIST JESUS, whom God put forward as a propitiation by His blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance (or patience) he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has FAITH IN JESUS. These are the terms for peace! So what is hindering you from making peace with God today? What is hindering you from repenting of your sin and believing (which includes following) Christ Jesus today? Next week is the greatest holiday that a Christian celebrates. Christmas is great. Easter, however, is the very hinge of our faith. If Christ did not rise, then this is all in vain, as Paul says. We believe…we have faith….we place our very hope in the fact that Christ Jesus did die and rose again. There is a quote that I want you, who have never followed Christ, to think upon… “Christianity, if false, is of no importance, but if true, is on infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be in moderately important.” There is no middle road to heaven. There is a narrow road which leads to life and only a few find it. Then there is a wide road which leads to destruction. Christ is the door. No one comes to the Father…no one stands in the eternal presence of the Father without first repenting of sin and placing their faith and hope in Jesus Christ. So, today, think again…”What is hindering you from following Christ?” Friend, I tell you…it is the greatest thing in the world to serve our God and to follow Jesus Christ.